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Rogue X

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By Gerrod Capps

Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel characters, I assume celebrities depicted inside own themselves and if not, well what were they thinking. Also any attempts to sue will get you covered in Cheeze Whiz as that is the only food I have in my house at the moment. Seriously folks, I'm broke, no mucho dinero. If I was making money it sure ain't because of this trash.;)

Rating: I dub thee as NC-17, arise NC-17 for you have violence of a gratuitous nature as well as some hot and steamy action. Yeah Baby!

Feedback: Need it. Want it. Crave it. Review the damn thing why don't ya. If you have any more questions or comments( even flames, I hear they make a decent fire) send to Gerrodmcapps@aol.com And also, if anyone knows the correct spelling of Lyla Cheney, and this is probably best left to old school X-fans, pass it my way please.

Setting: An alternate universe, where things are both lighter and infinitely darker. What would happen if Charles Xavier and Eric Lensherr had stayed working together?

Beginnings

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome our next guess to the studio. The star of NBC's acclaimed hit show 'Rogue X'. Please give a warm hand to Miss Marie McKenzie." The crowd was on its feet as the brunette bombshell walked on stage. Shaking hands with Carson Daly, the host of TRL, Marie grinned brightly.

Standing at about five foot five, her trim and athletic body was highlighted by the hugging nature of her denim jeans. Her maroon silk blouse tied in the front showing off her ample breasts and flat stomach, giving a hint of her toned abdominal muscles' showing from under her top. Her long burnished hair cascaded down to the middle of her back. Two white streaks marked where her long bangs were tucked behind her ears.

She loved this, being on stage, meeting and greeting fans. Her southern accent making the men in the crowd swoon all the more. Starring in a hit TV show and about to make the leap to the big screen, Marie didn't think things could be brighter. She was laughing and generally having a good time as she answered questions about the movie Mutant Uprising. Marie had co-starred with Harrison Ford, Patrick Stewart, and Julia Roberts in the epic telling of the Species Wars, which had taken place during the sixties and seventies. Various other questions were asked as well such as questions about who she was dating (currently single), who gets killed off in the second season's premier of Rogue X (can't tell, that would spoil it), and who she thought was the hottest guy out there (Brad Pitt, although the new comer Hugh Jackman was up on her list). Marie stopped and signed autographs for several fans before being ushered to her limo where she was whisked away to Madison Square Garden.

Marie had tickets to see Lyla Cheney and the Dazzlers, the hottest mutant band around. She knew Lyla the lead guitarist and the singer of the band, Alison Blair, from the Xavier Academy. Xavier's was like a finishing school for mutants. It was there that she first learned to control her gift. The ability to absorb the life energy from any one with skin to skin contact that had left her shaken and terrified for a long time.

Now those worries were behind her. Marie was just going to concentrate on enjoying herself before the long flight back to Alaska where she made her home. Marie smiled at the thought of the quaint little town she had found near the Alaska and Canada border, near the Canadian province of Whitehorse. Far north, sometimes too far north for her Mississippi blood to handle.

The concert had been rocking, as Alison Blair, the mutant that liked to be called Dazzler provided the light show with her ability to turn sound into light. Marie had talked about old times with them afterwards for awhile before taking her limo to the airport. Marie hated being rushed around, but was glad that Bobby was her assistant. At least she had someone to talk with during the long flight to L.A., before she got a connecting flight to Anchorage. She sighed and rested back in the plush leather seats for the ride to the airport.

"Marie? Marie, wake up, we're here. Come on, quit fantasying about me and wake up." Bobby said as he absently ran a hand through his blonde hair. His grin still plastered to his face as Marie playfully slapped his arm. "Come on. Don't want to miss our flight."

"Okay, Popsicle, let's go.", Marie told him as they exited the limousine. Several attendants gathered their luggage and off they went. Marie thought about when Bobby had started working for her as an assistant. She had known him since she was thirteen and they had been best friends for five years. Bobby was a mutant as well, able to manipulate and create vast amounts of ice.

The next month

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Dear Charles,

I'm fine, though I thank you for your concern. I'll not be home for Christmas this winter. The airport is closed this time of year and I was not able to get a flight. Tell the others I miss them. Hopefully you and Eric can have the Massachusetts school running in no time. Tell Remy that he had best be on his toes. I heard about what he and Jubilee did during Thanksgiving and I don't think Hank enjoyed going from blue fur to green. Although I do wish someone had pictures. Ha ha. Anyway, I will be back the second week of February, so don't worry. I'm fine. Really.

Sincerely,

Marie

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Marie stared at the letter she had written. Although it wasn't quite true about the airport, Marie just didn't feel like flying anywhere. She just wanted to relax and forget about the pressures of being a big star. Well, fledgling star but one rising fast she told her self. Grabbing her keys and her coat, Marie placed the letter in her pocket and went to drive into town to mail it.

Having breakfast at Molly's, the local little greasy spoon, Marie was grateful that most people left her alone. Although being nineteen, Marie also valued her privacy and no where was as private as a remote border town in some of the most beautiful country she had ever seen. She only did the TV show so she could have her dream house built and now that it had, she just wanted to finish out her contract and see where life took her.

Marie had always known that she didn't want to join Eric and Charles' security force, the mutant-watching branch of the police departments. The Xavier's Security Force was equipped to handle almost any mutant that decided to cause trouble. They also provided a much-needed relief to strained police forces all over the North American continent. Marie was happy that they did well, but she also thought that power such as they possessed could always turn to evil. All it would take is for someone to fall off the path and drag a few others with them.

Marie mailed her letter, then drove down the street to the general store. Greeting the slack jawed teen that always worked the counter and stared at her ass way to much, Marie sauntered over to the frozen food section to get her favorite treats; mint chocolate chip and double mocha fudge ice cream. She was addicted to it. Although she had to work extra hard not to show the extra weight her late night snacks should have cost her.

Finishing her shopping and heading out to her truck, Marie heard a strange noise above her. Several other people in the street glanced up, but what ever had been there was gone now. Shrugging to herself she climbed into her pickup and speed off to her cabin hideaway.

It wasn't until she was almost home that she noticed something was wrong. Driving carefully up the path to her house, Marie was shocked by what she saw and heard. It was a loud animalistic growl, deep and menacing that cut off the rapid-fire report of what sounded like automatic gunfire. Marie stopped her truck and leapt out. Running to the twisted black wreckage of what looked like it used to be some kind of large aircraft, she slipped and tumbled her way though the snowdrifts.

"should be dead... should ...be...dea-", a low voice gasped as she slid next to it on the snow. Marie was examining the body, it was a solider of some sort. Judging by the ragged tears and the severed limb, it looked like some sorta wild animal had attacked him. Marie could still hear gunfire and that bone-chilling howl coming from the far end of the wreckage. Marie had never been more terrified in her life. Silently whispering a prayer, she grabbed the small machine gun that rested next to the dead solider. Not that it would do much she thought as she examined it as she crept cautiously to the sounds that had now stopped. Charles, now would be a good time for your team to show up. Marie thought, directing it to the most powerful telepath on the planet. Not that she expected an answer.

Even Charles had limits, and he was in Westchester, New York. Marie continued forward and was shocked by what she saw. A creature was hovering over the torn and bloody bodies of several men and a woman. The warmth that they had produced in life slowly steaming away from the ravaged and mutilated corpses.

Marie was vomiting then, the sight before her was just too much. The figure turned and she could see that the lean and muscled body was covered in a black skintight jumpsuit that was shredded and filled with what looked like nearly seventy or eighty gunshot wounds. Oddly enough though, the skin underneath was pink and healthy looking. A silver half-domed headpiece that looked like it weighed twenty pounds covered his face.

His hands were balled into fists and protruding between his knuckles were these massive nine inch long blades. They were covered in gore and the man, she was sure it was a man now, seemed to be sniffing the air. A belt hung low on his waist with two large metal boxes that had all sorts of diodes and switches and linked with the helmet. The helmet itself was dented and cracked from the heavy gunfire it had sustained. The man was now advancing on Marie, blades extended, no expression on its face save unbridled hatred from the sneer she was able to see.

Marie began backing away, knowing she was probably going to die. Then the creature sniffed again, and its features softened slightly. It pitched forward slightly as it neared her. A small voice whispering softly as it collapsed. "...smell...like...flower...no...bad-" then it spoke no more.

Marie pushed her self up and clutched her legs to her. She had to call someone. Someone who could take care of the mess she found herself in. Running into her house, she grabbed the phone and dialed the number for Xavier's home.

Finally on the third ring a sleepy voice answered. "Xavier's School for the Gifted. Scott Summers speaking."

"Scott it's me Marie. I need you to get your team here now, something bad has happened.", and Marie breathlessly told him what had transpired

"We'll be there in about seven hours. Just hang on okay. Call the local police, tell them we are in route and that a mutant investigation team is going to help with clean up. Can you do that Marie?", Scott asked her, his tone carrying the authority he felt when giving orders.

"Yeah, jus' please hurry." It was Marie's only reply as she could see a figure struggling to its feet outside her window.

The next day

Marie was struggling to keep from staring at the figure before her. It had not moved from the seat she had given it in her kitchen so that she could clean the blood and gore from its body. Scott had been reluctant to leave her alone with the man responsible for the destruction in her front lawn. Marie had given him no choice in the matter though.

"Well, you need a name don't you?", Marie said to the silent figure that kept it's hazel eyes glued to her every movement. Marie had learned to go slow and talk soothingly to the man before her. Like a child, he found every thing to be new and was easily overcome from new sensations.

The team Scott had brought had consisted of Quicksilver, a mutant that could travel vast distances in the blink of an eye, the armored juggernaut known as Colossus, whose superhuman strength aided in the removal of the wreckage. Also present was doctors Hank McCoy, a blue furred being affectionately named Beast and Jean Grey, a telepathic and telekinetic.

The winged form of Warren Worthington III could be seen every now and then as he flew circuits above Marie's cabin. Eric had also come, and even though he was an elderly man, he was no less powerful. His ability to manipulate magnetic fields had gained him the name Magneto. He traveled with his son and daughter, Pietro and Wanda. The former being known as Quicksilver and the latter as the Scarlet Witch.

Marie had learned thru Jean that the man sitting in her kitchen had no recollection of his past other than intense pain and suffering. Most of his recollections had been erased from his memory. Marie had felt terrible, not knowing your past or who you really are would be awful. Marie knew then that she was going to take care of this man, at least until he told her to fuck off. Marie laughed at herself, not knowing what else to do she treated the man's wounds, which mostly consisted of wiping dried blood off him.

Apparently he was a mutant with the ability to heal rapidly from any wound. When hit by the bullets, his body was already pushing them back out of his system, knitting the damage and making itself generally whole. Marie had to have Hank look him over and when they had found that several bullets had lodged in his body causing him some considerable pain, Marie had to distract him so Hank could give him a shot. Dosing it high enough to kill a horse, it had put the man to sleep just long enough to pull them out. Hank had been amazed at his recuperative abilities but the real shock was his bone structure.

Hank was too much the scientist and with Marie's help had gotten Their patient to the Blackbird jet that served as the X.S.F.'s mode of transportation. Taking several x-rays and a blood sample, which had nearly cost Hank his life, but Marie had intervened and scolded the man like a bad puppy. She loved the way his hazel eyes would light up and the hard lines of his face would soften when she talked to him. Her reverie was broken as the team returned from salvaging what they could of the wreckage. A few files and about three videotapes had survived the crashed plane's descent. The last to enter was Eric and as he caught sight of the man for the first time he nearly fell into shock. He was having trouble breathing and had a look of fear and awe on his face. The others were stunned by Eric's behavior.

"What's wrong with you? Ain't ya ever seen a man in boxer's before?", Marie tried to keep her tone light.

"I know this man, or more accurately met him once." Eric paused to take a breath. Getting a glass of water from the sink he stared at the man seated in the chair that kept his eyes glued to Marie as if she was the only thing in the world. "When I was a young boy in the concentration camps, I was separated from my family, friends, everyone I ever cared about. During the time when the Allied forces freed my camp, it was just after a culling. That is where they get rid of overcrowding by thinning the herd so to speak." He took another drink, letting his mind wander back further.

"The Allied force that freed my camp hit heavy resistance and would have been lost if not for that man there. He single-handedly took out nearly a platoon of men with nothing more than a broken bayonet. He should have died that day, but where men fell from lesser blows he struggled valiantly. When it was all over, I had crawled out of the pit I had been dumped in with the dead and he found me. Dragged me back to a medic and as I watched the wounds close on his back, bullets being pushed out I knew something was different. That is when I knew there was a new age dawning for mankind."

Settling back he look at each face and the said something that broke them out of their trance. "I believe we have some video to watch."

The videos were a documentation of three days worth of experimentation on the man huddled in the corner now. If the time dates were any indication, they had been experimenting on him for over fifty years. He hadn't aged at all. The first tape was dated August 6, 1949. In it they watched as Subject 215, as he was referred to was dragged into the room on a metal table. His body jerked and twisted against the restraints.

After three hours of torture that the man on the tape had described as testing the limits of his healing ability. they had fast forward it and were startled to learn that the claws in his forearm were originally bone. Much to the chagrin of one of the doctors as they had unlocked the subject to transfer him. He had been playing possum and gutted one doctor before armed guards brought him down. Various other experiments were explained and detailed why they had failed and why this one would succeed.

The second video had been the hardest to watch. Dated as July 6, 1980, they were treated to the subject being floated in a green jelly like substance. His skin flayed open and a man in a hot suit, designed to keep extreme temperatures from overwhelming one, used a tube to spread molten metal onto the man's bones. From the way he jerked and spasm on the television, and the inhuman howling coming over the sound, it was clear that they did not believe in painkillers.

Hank caught his breath as he listened intently muttering an occasional "Oh my stars and garters.", or an "Incredible." He had always thought that the metal they were using was a myth. Adamantium was the most durable substance on Earth. Just to melt it, took temperatures in excess of seven thousand degrees. If fashioned into a blade it could rend steel like butter, finely chop diamonds into julienne strips. It was virtually unbreakable and indestructible. Hank was in awe that some one could survive that process.

The last tape was dated as December 7, 2002. That had been yesterday's date. On the tape an elderly version of one of the original doctors was stating that due to circumstances beyond their control they were having to abandon their current location and would be taking Subject 215, or the Wolverine to the new secured location.

Then the accident had occurred and he had escaped. Marie ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Burying herself with his touch, she hugged him fiercely. He on the other hand had not moved. He was still too unsure of who these people were. He was vaguely aware of being free and everything seemed foggy and distant. Everything except the girl that insisted on touching him all the time. He knew he would do anything for her. She had been the first person he could remember that had been kind and gentle to him.

His nostrils filled with her scent. No fear or hatred or anger, but a calm loving kind scent greeted his nose. He loved her smell that was like apple blossoms and strawberries. He could almost remember the old man's smell, it nagged at him but he couldn't place it. He could tell that there was a friction, kinda like alpha dog against alpha dog between the man in the visor with the silly black costume and the winged blonde, who would steal glances at the red haired girl. He didn't like the red head, she smelled like lust, and she had tried to stick him with a needle.

He did not like needles. The only reason he let the hairy beast looking guy do it was because the girl with the silvery white bangs had made sure he let him. She had no fear of him, not even when she had vomited at his handiwork.

He watched as her friends poured over the remaining papers and folders on the table. He could remember vividly the torture he had endured with those mad men. He looked down at her, still hugging him. He remembered she had wanted to name him and had been thinking about that nonstop for hours. Looking into her eyes, brown doe eyes that were red rimmed from crying he whispered a word in her ear before falling asleep in her arms on the kitchen floor, pillowing his head on her breasts.

Marie looked down at his peaceful features and smiled. "G'night then,", she paused before speaking again, "Logan."